Makati CBD to be revitalized

MANILA, Philippines - Makati denizens will soon experience the first of a series of ambitious projects designed to keep the 124-hectare premier business district at the forefront of successful masterplanned communities in the Philippines.

Despite the profusion of modern business districts in Metro Manila — eight major ones at the last count — Makati remains the most prestigious with land values and rentals pegged at a much higher price than that of its closest competitor. Prime Makati office space, for instance, rents out at P900/sqm. on the average and is almost double that in Ortigas.

Emphasizes Anna Margarita Dy, group head of the Strategic Landbank Management Group of Ayala Land, the developer mainly priming the district’s sustained growth: “We intend to maintain Makati’s competitive edge through a constant stream of projects that will keep the place vibrant. We want it to continue being friendly, engaging and interesting to all who live, work and visit here.”

A key component to making Makati a vibrant city is to make it even more friendly to pedestrians than it already is. The executives, workers, and visitors who enjoy Makati’s pedestrian walkways will certainly welcome the completion of a new urban oasis at the heart of the business district to be unveiled this November.

The two-hectare garden lies behind the Tower One and Exchange Plaza on Ayala Avenue and is bordered by Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue. Salcedo Village residents and employees who cut across the Ayala Triangle from Paseo de Roxas as they head for Ayala Avenue and Ayala Center will see the board-ups come down in a few weeks time to reveal a landscaped promenade.